Soooo - Top of the first. R1 & R2. No outs. I am in C. Batter pops up a bunt halfway down the third base line. Both F1 and F2 reach the ball about the same time and I see a bobble for a moment and then just bodies. I knew plate umpire was screened and did not have a good look. So we are just waiting to see something. Plate ump thinks it is a catch and starts to ring up the out. At the same time I see the ball on the ground and point "the ball is on the ground". Plate ump changes the call and we have a 2-5-4 dp. Coach naturally goes ballistic about the delayed call. Sometimes getting the call right may not be the best thing. If I had to do it over again I think I would not have seen the ball on the ground. Don't think there would have been any complaints by either coach. I'm sure this could have been handled better. Let the comments begin!

how long did you wait??

First of all your partner should realalize the importance of waiting to see the play completed before making the call.

Having said that, those runners were frozen at their respective bases either way, thinking as both you and your partner thought, that a catch was going to be made. I doubt if the results would have been any different. Sometrimes you make mistakes and have to take a little heat, even if it means you got it right. Get over it. But don't EVER get in the habit of making it up. Then you lost your integrity.

Timing is everything...

this is a great example for the umpire mantra -

Pause...Read...React

and the 2nd rule -

SHOW ME THE BALL!

good call - you earned your pay, welcome to the world of umpiring.

Funny...coach went balistic on the umpires, but probably never said a word to the batter who couldn't get the bunt on the ground.

Sometimes getting the call right may not be the best thing. If I had to do it over again I think I would not have seen the ball on the ground.

Getting the call right is the best thing, and in this case the no call was the right call. Delaying our calls until we see the whole play is what we are suppose to do.

You could have ruled the drop was deliberated and broken out 6.05(L)

An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases; APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Infield Fly rule applies.

and then be glad you have on armor...! ;)

M

You could have ruled the drop was deliberated and broken out 6.05(L)

An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases; APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Infield Fly rule applies.

and then be glad you have on armor...!

From reading the original post, this situation was in no way intentional. Two kids running into one another to try and make the catch, how is this intentionally dropping the ball?

The rule you are referring to often occurs when an infielder is trying to create an easy double play situation by deliberately dropping a pop fly.

It was a tongue-in-cheek response - as difficult was it was to make to call he did (the correct one IMO), he could have made his life even more difficult by enforcing a rule that 99% of the folks out there wouldn't believe exists.

M

sorry if I over-reacted sometimes I am attacked on these forums and have a tendency to get abit defensive. My apologizes.

:)

In my opinion Jake, EXCELLENT JOB!:D

Coach goes ballistic... tough luck buddy. I didn't make the play; I just made the call. And it was the right call.

To make any other call would have been unethical.

There is not much else you can do on this play... most veteran umpires have been in this position.

Unless you are out of your position, there is not much else you can do.